Bank-protecting device



(No Model.) 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1. G. J.'HINKLE. BANK PROTECTING DEVICE.

Patented Feb. 1, 1898.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. J. HINKLE. BANK PROTECTING DEVICE.

.I WITNESSES:

OTD-LITHEL. wxsumonm, n, c.

PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE J. HINKLE, OFDENISON, TEXAS.

BANK-PROTECTING DEVIcE.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 598,477, dated February1, 1898. i

' Application filed March 5,1897. SerialNo. 626,130. on) model.)

To aZZ whom/it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. HINKLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denison, in the county of Grayson and State of Texas, haveinventeda new and useful Bank Protecting Device, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates, first, to a protectingshield which is thrown upjust behind the railings of counters in front of cashiers, tellers, andother clerks in case of an attempted hold-up; second, to a trap-door inthe floor in front of the counter so arranged that when the shield isthrown up that trap-door is suddenly opened and lets the attacking partydown into a cell, and, third, to an alarm-bell situated on the outsideof the building and which is sounded when the shield and trap.- door arethrown. 1

I attain the objects of my invention by the mechanism and devicesillustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which the following is abrief description:

Figure 1 is a vertical section on a bankcounter with part elevation ofsame. Fig. 2 is a side View of an alarm-bell. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection of bank-con nter below top. Fig. 4c is a horizontal section ofbank-counter above top. 7

In the accompanying drawings the same reference-numbers designatesimilar parts.

The protecting-shield and its mechanism are constructed of iron, steel,or other suitable metal and are composed of the following parts Theshield 1 is made of steel thick enough to stop a bullet and slides upand down through the counter top in a groove and is guided at the sidesby ways 2, fixed to the railing of the counter. The shield is fastenednear the bottom tosprings 3'by means of l1inges4. The shield has aprojection 5 secured to it some distance from the bottom and another one5 at the top to close up the opening in the counter-top for the passageof projection 5. Bars or rods 6, turning in proper supports 7 and,connected by bevel or other gearing 8, receive and properly maintain,first, a hook 9, which keeps the shield down on bent springs by engaging projection 5 of the shield; second, hooks 10, that work under thefloor and engage catches 11, fixed to the trap-door; third, a pedal 12,which by being depressed releases the hooks of shield and trap-door. Thespring 13 keeps the hooks in place when engaged by pressing against theback of hook 9.

The trap-door 141's placed in the floor in front of the openings in therailing of the cured to a proper frame 15, which is pivoted on a bar 16and providedwith counterweights 17 to bring the trap-door up to positionafter it has been thrown down. The frameand door are kept in'place bythe catches 11, se-

cured to the frame and engaging the hooks 10.

on the Wire 20. The different parts of my inventionbeing thus described,I will now explain its working.

The trap-door is concealed by a piece of matting and the robber steps onit to reach the cashiers or tellers window. The bank officer being toldto hold up his hands complies with the order and at the same time placeshis foot on the pedal and throws his weight on it. This turns the rods 6below the counter in front of him and all the rods alongthe wholecounter. the hooks 9 from the projection 5 on the shield, and by theunbending of the springs 3 the shield is thrown up above the counter andthe shield and springs take the position indicated by 1 1 and 3'3. Theturning of the rods has also released the trap-door catches 11, and theweight of the robber overcoming the balance-weight 17 the trap-dooropens and he is precipitated down an inclined floor into a cell, wherehe can be captured. The shield is bullet-proof and would have stoppedany missile had the robber succeded in shooting before being despatchedbelow. The pedal has also worked the alarm and outside help would becoming instantly.

Theprotecting-shield can be worked without the trap-door arrangement,and in that way could be used in anykind of office and in express-cars,where a number of cross-partitions can be thrown up, if desired.

Having described my invention and explained its working, what I claim asnew, and

counter and is composed of flooring 14, se-

This disengages desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a bank-protecting device, the combination with a movable paneladapted to be automatically interposed between the outside and inside ofa bank-counter and of fiat springs fastenedat one end on the floor andat the other on the movable panel, of a system of rods 6 following thelines of the counter and. geared together so as to turn simultane-' 3.In a bank-protecting device the combination with a system of rods 6geared together and having pedals 12 to turn them simultaneously andprovided with hooks 10 of a trapdoor hinged at the farthest side fromthe coun ter and having catches 11 to engage hooks 10 and provided withbalance-weights 17 fixed to its under side beyond the hinging-point;substantially as described and for the'purposes set forth.

4:. In a bank-protecting device the combi nation with a system of rodsgeared together. and having pedals to turn them simultaneously andprovided with hooks 9 of a spring 13 having one end fast and the otherpressing against the back of hook 9; substantially as described and forthe purposes set forth.

Denison, Texas, February 27, 1897.

G. J. HINKLE. Witnesses:

J. P. PERKINS, J. T. PRICE.

